The next morning, Night Namikaze woke up and stretched lazily, as if the events of the previous night had nothing to do with him.
Outside the window, the small town was still shrouded in a hazy morning mist.
He strolled to a small shop near his inn and ordered a bowl of steaming, savory seafood porridge—a local specialty of the Land of Water. Chewing on the springy squid tentacles, he pondered, "I wonder if the Eight-Tails Gyūki's tentacles are even chewier?"
As for last night? It was as if it never happened. He felt zero burden.
---
After enjoying breakfast, Night grabbed his pack and started his "traveling merchant" routine.
First, he visited the shops he had scouted yesterday, paying deposits and arranging to pick up goods the next day.
Anyone watching would be convinced he planned to leave town tomorrow morning.
He bought a few random items and wandered the town casually, "unconsciously" finding his way back to yesterday's street.
Sure enough, another figure brushed past him in a hurry. Instantly, another note appeared in his hand.
Night walked to a quiet spot and unfolded the paper. The handwriting was identical to yesterday's.
But this time, there was a tiny, secret mark on the note—one unique to Konoha.
Unless you were a deep-cover operative, you wouldn't know this symbol. A knowing smile curled his lips. He had made his judgment.
---
Late at night, in the forest northeast of town, the figure from yesterday appeared again.
He stood with arms crossed, exuding confidence, certain that Night would come this time.
When he heard footsteps approaching through the trees, he didn't even turn around.
He just said coolly, "I knew you'd come."
"Yes. I'm here. Clan Head Kaguya, I hope you have a reasonable explanation," a voice replied indifferently.
Hearing that voice, Naoto Kaguya spun around in shock. Instead of Night Namikaze, he was facing a squad of Mist ninjas.
---
It turned out that when Night saw the secret Konoha mark on the note, he didn't feel reassured. He sneered.
"There's a problem. And it's coming from the top." His mind was clear as a mirror.
"The meetup method is too deliberate. Any real undercover agent would never use the same method at the same location two days in a row when risks haven't been cleared. And they definitely wouldn't flash that level of identification just to gain trust. This is obviously a trap—unless the guy is a complete moron."
As for which "friendly" higher-up was behind this, Night didn't even need to guess.
He could practically picture Danzo in the ROOT base, laughing sinisterly, hoping Night would either be killed by the Kaguya clan or exposed and captured by the Mist.
"Want to use the Kaguya clan as a knife to kill me? Then I'll snap that knife and give the Mist a little shock."
---
Having made up his mind, Night didn't go to the forest. Instead, he went straight to the Mist patrol captain he had befriended.
Wearing a look of perfect concern, he presented the note.
"Sir... look at this. I really don't feel good about it. I got this weird note yesterday and didn't dare to go. Today, I got another one, and this time there's a strange mark on it."
He pointed at the secret Konoha mark and continued, feigning ignorance, "I'm just a merchant trying to make money. I don't want to get involved in any trouble."
He didn't explicitly point out the "Kaguya Clan" connection. A traveling merchant who knew too much would be suspicious. It was better to let them discover it themselves; that way, they would believe it without a doubt.
As expected, the captain's face darkened instantly. Realizing the severity of the situation, he immediately gathered his squad to ambush the perimeter.
Until Naoto Kaguya showed up, leading to the scene in the forest.
---
"Naoto Kaguya!" The Mist captain's voice was icy, filled with disbelief.
"You privately contacted an outsider, used suspected foreign spy codes... what is your intention?! Are you leaking village secrets or plotting something else?"
Naoto Kaguya was both shocked and furious. He never expected Night to break the rules and report him directly to the Mist law enforcement.
Did he know he was exposed and decided to drag me down with him?
He looked around frantically, eyes burning with rage, trying to spot Night. If he found him, he would skewer him with bone spikes.
"Bullsht! Don't slander me!" Naoto roared as the Mist elites closed in.
"I am the head of the Kaguya clan! Why would I..."
"Right or wrong, the Mizukage will decide," Kudai Matsushita interrupted rudely. "If you resist, you will be treated as a traitor."
Naoto wanted to argue, but the Mist elites were already upon him, their blades gleaming cold in the moonlight. They looked ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
Helpless, Naoto gave up resisting and allowed the Mist ninjas to bind him.
As the bridge between the Kaguya clan and the village, he still wanted to believe the Third Mizukage would clear his name.
Before leaving, Naoto looked at the captain, Kudai Matsushita, and said, "Matsushita, you must not let that merchant kid go. He is definitely a Konoha spy."
Kudai Matsushita was puzzled by Naoto's surrender.
He had prepared for a fight. Seeing it was Naoto Kaguya, he was terrified.
As a clan head, Naoto was one of the strongest in the Land of Water.
If it came to blows, his squad wouldn't stand a chance. He had only threatened him out of bluster. He didn't expect Naoto to cooperate so easily, which actually made him suspicious.
But now, it was out of his hands. The Kaguya clan was one of the major noble clans; this was way above his pay grade.
Unable to figure it out, Matsushita called a subordinate. "Is that merchant kid still at the inn?"
Upon receiving a "yes," Matsushita frowned even harder.
Although he got the answer he wanted, he was more confused. If it's a conspiracy, how can that merchant be so calm?
The captain's face was grim. The Kaguya clan was known for being unruly and crazy, and their relationship with the Mist high command was always tense.
Any abnormal activity involving them was enough to trigger sensitive nerves on both sides.